


No Mistletoe Necessary

by OnceUponADestiel (Jems_of_Grace)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bunker Fluff, Destiel - Freeform, Destiel Fluff, Fluff, M/M, xmas, xmas fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 16:42:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5505125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jems_of_Grace/pseuds/OnceUponADestiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kind of coda for 11x09 but not necessarily. The idea is that Sam's in hell but Dean doesn't know it yet. Only that he's disappeared without saying anything. So Dean returns to the bunker alone. Oh and it's an xmas fic btw...</p><p>This is pure pinstriped candy canes and sparkly fluffy stuff, just fyi</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Mistletoe Necessary

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little xmas gift for all my amazing followers on Tumblr and anyone who has subscribed to my stories on AO3. You're all awesome and I love you. Thanks for hanging on even though I've not been posting much recently xxx

He'd been gone from the bunker longer than anticipated and it was with a weary heart and dreary disposition that Dean Winchester made his return journey home that evening. 

To top it off, he also hadn't been planning on returning home sans Sammy.

Just as he thought they'd reached a new place of mutual communication and trust, his brother had evidently made a move without him and Dean had no idea where he was or how to find him.

So he returned to the bunker with one thought in his head alone. 

_Get to Cas._

He barely knew why, not being entirely sure himself what an angel recovering from a strong curse could possibly do to help in this situation. He only knew he must and he would, not just because it felt like it was the only thing he _could_ do; not just a last ditch effort, the last resort, his only hope... but rather, because it felt like the only thing he  _wanted_ to do; drawn back to those dark protective wings like a moth to a flame. Yeah and that wasn't cheesy at all... Still, it was the only thing that made sense in Dean's mind and it was everything he wanted.

It was dark by the time he neared the bunker and although the weather recently had been relatively mild for December it was a miserably wet night and a chill had begun to set over Dean's shoulders. Sheets of rain blasted over the windscreen whilst the wind buffeted hard against the sides of the Impala. The bare trees shook eerily by the road side and Dean looked out cautiously, wary of any fallen branches that might be lying in the road.

He parked up close to the bunker, finding the car doors reluctant to open as the wind battered strongly against them from the outside. He made it out, shielding his face from the sudden onslaught of rain, the sharp pricks hitting the back of his hands raw as he ran the last couple of feet towards the bunker's doors.

He heaved open the heavy metal barricade and practically leapt over the threshold towards the warmth, feeling the wind chase after his ankles before he turned around, slamming the vault like door behind him.

Stillness.

Overwhelming stillness and calm radiated around him. A faint sound like old music lilted in the distance, too faint to make out and when he breathed in, away from the metallic tang of the doors, came a warm, almost sweet and spicy aroma which settled in the air about him, inviting him further inwards...

He turned fully around, noticing for the first time the soft lighting which permeated from below and cautiously descended the stairs, momentarily forgetting his predicament with Sam in light of his senses being awakened.

The first thing he saw as he got to the bottom of the steps was a perfectly rounded behind. 'Hello Dean,' said the butt which was poking out from the bottom of an enormous - wait...

'Is that a- a _tree!?'_

'Yes,' came the low growly response from the slightly swaying butt beneath its evergreen branches. Dean tilted his head to one side, unconciously taking in the view. 

'Uh... _Cas?'_ How did a  _tree_ get in here?'

'I brought it here,' he said, wriggling out from beneath the tree and looking up at Dean with those wide blue eyes.

'Okay,' said Dean, his brain churning slower than usual. 'Um... _why?_ '

'It seemed appropriate.' Dean didn't say anything, just raised one quizzical eyebrow. 'It's Christmas, Dean.'

Dean blinked. 'It is?' he asked quietly. With everything that had been going on recently, he'd completely lost track of time. He'd been vaguely aware that they'd reached December but somehow he hadn't connected that with yuletide festivities... 

'Well, technically... no. It's Christmas Eve.'

'Ah...'

Cas looked away from Dean, back towards the tree, studying the bedecked branches with a critical eye. 'Hmm...' he muttered thoughtfully whilst Dean watched on bemused, taking in the sight. 

It was a pretty big tree, possibly a scotch pine with long green needles. The fresh smell coming off it practically screamed Christmas. Somewhere, Cas had found a long string of tiny fairy lights; red, gold, green and blue twinkling between the branches. He'd hung up a variety of decorations from glittering snowflakes and crystal icicles that reflected the lights, to sparkly reindeer, red beads and tinsel in red, gold, green and silver... He'd really done a damn good job of it. Martha Stewart would be proud. 

'Where did ya get it from anyways?'

'The woods. I found it this morning, took it up by the roots and brought it home.' Dean felt a warm fluttering in his chest at Cas's last word but the angel seemed not to notice how he had affected him.

'But _why-?_ ' Cas frowned and opened his mouth, no doubt on the verge of repeating himself. 'I mean... I  _know:_ it's Christmas. I get it, I do... it's just... I  _don't_ get it. We don't really  _do_ Christmas, y'know...' Dean couldn't look his friend in the eye as he said it. It wasn't that he wanted to seem ungrateful. But it was true. They'd never really had a tree before. Least ways, nothing like this one, festooned up to the eyeballs with decorations and looking like something housewives all around the world would be jealous of... Dean didn't need to see the pity in Cas's eyes.

'I know,' Cas said and it was as though he'd said ' _Exactly!'_  

Dean nodded, still unable to meet his friend's piercing gaze.

'Dean... if you don't like it-' Cas began hesitatingly, sounding unsure of himself. 'I can always take it down. I don't mind.' And he didn't. Dean could tell by his tone of voice. He wouldn't be bothered by Dean's rejection of his tree in the slightest, so long as Dean could feel comfortable in his own home. 'I thought you would like it. Human Christmas traditions. A touch of... _normalcy,_ ' he hesitated again, crinkling up his nose with distaste and added as an afterthought: 'Though personally I find normalcy to be an overrated concept.'

Dean chuckled.

'I wanted to surprise you,' he finished softly and Dean felt his heart melt. Just the thought of Cas, hunting around for the perfect tree, ripping it up from its roots and hauling it back to the bunker over his shoulder. With all that angelic strength, it was probably no more onerous than carrying a stick. 

But still. The thought was there.

And the thought was surprising Dean.

Cas did this for him.

'Thanks, Cas,' he finally got out, the words trembling slightly as they spilled out over his lips and oh,  _fuck no_ _!_ He was  _not_ going to cry about this! But the lump felt heavy and restricting in his throat as it swelled with emotion and though he tried to swallow past it, his eyes, treacherously, filled with water.

Surreptitiously, he wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve and Cas, god send that he was, displayed a level of tact Dean hadn't known he was capable of and pretended not to notice.

'Don't throw it out,' he added, looking up at his friend who stared back solemnly. Dean couldn't stop the fresh tear that escaped from the corner of his eye and trickled gradually down the length of his cheek. 'I love it,' he added, voice breaking as he became aware that it wasn't the tree he was staring at.

Cas nodded.

'I love it too,' he said quietly, looking up at Dean under long dark lashes, a thin sliver of blue just visible and making Dean blush as a small smile played about Cas's lips. 'You want to help me put on the rest of the decorations?' he asked a little shyly.

'You're- you're not _done_ already?'

Cas shook his head. 'The bunker had a surprisingly large collection of decorations stored in the basement. Whilst all are definitely antiques, some are positively _ancient_. Most of them appear to be handmade.' Cas indicated towards a large cardboard box marked Christmas Decorations. Leaning over, Dean saw that there were still quite a few decorations lying at the bottom.

'Wow,' he said, pulling out an ornate silver and crystal spangling star. 'How did you even find this?'

Cas shrugged his shoulders. 'Largely by accident,' he admitted. 'I was hoping to find some lights or something I could use... I just stumbled across this in one corner,' he hesitated. 'I know it sounds... _silly..._ but... it was almost like it _wanted_ to be found...'

Dean blinked. 'That doesn't sound silly,' he disagreed. 'Least ways - not around _here_ ,' he gestured around the unusually cosy looking war room.

Cas looked up at him smiling, his blue eyes practically glowing with gratitude that Dean hadn't made fun of him. And for a second there, Dean forgot to breathe.

Then Cas looked away to pick another decoration from the box and Dean took a deep shuddering gulp of oxygen. What the fuck was wrong with him today?

It was plain denial and he barely had the energy for it anymore. It was simple really. And there had been nothing particularly unusual about Dean's reaction. Facts were, Cas just had that effect on him and pretty much always had done.

He couldn't stop his face softening with fondness as he watched the angel string a miniature owl to one of the higher branches.  And honestly, he didn't see the point in pretending anymore...

Dean strung the star up and ducked down into the box for another decoration; this time coming up with a large glittering pine cone, whilst Cas picked out a tiny knitted cat and what looked like a gold robin. He seemed particularly pleased with all the small animal decorations. 

Faintly, Dean registered the music playing from the other room; Bing Crosby's _White Christmas_ slowly petering out to be replaced by Judy Garland singing _Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas_ and Dean found himself looking across at his friend with a fond smile. 

Cas caught him smiling and smiled back. 'I have another surprise for you and I'm  _certain_ you'll like this one,' he said confidently.

'Yeah?' Dean asked with raised eyebrows. Cas nodded excitedly, suddenly jumping to his feet. 'Where are you going?' Dean called after him as he sped from the room. A muffled response informed Dean that he'd be just a minute. Dean shrugged and continued to root through the decorations, pushing aside the plainer baubles and excitedly pulling out a couple of large glass ones decorated with red and green plaid. Well, it was probably tartan... but close enough... 'Now that's what I'm talking it about,' he said hanging them up and standing back to admire the effect. The sound of Cas clearing his throat made him spin around.

Dean's jaw dropped. 

'Is that what I think it is?'

Cas smiled, a beautiful wide grin, full of pink gums and flashing teeth and for a second Dean forgot what they were talking about. 'I made you pie.'

Dean actually let out a small whimpering sound, edging on a moan.

But seriously: was he even awake anymore?

'Cause Cas stood there grinning and brandishing what appeared to be a perfectly made pecan pie; the scent of roasted nuts and caramelly-syrupyness wafting across to him... well, it was like something out of one of his more pg rated fantasies.

'Would you like to try some?'

Was he joking? 'Um, _yeah!_ ' he burst out with barely contained enthusiasm. 

They sat down at the table together and Cas presented him with a large slice. The angel tried some himself but as soon as he bit into it he wrinkled up his nose with distaste; apparently the molecules were disappointing, poor guy... but when Dean took his first bite, all he could taste was heavenly mouthfuls of crunchy sweet goodness layered over perfectly made buttery pastry. ' _Cas!_ ' he said a little breathlessly, opening his eyes. 'This is freaking awesome!' The man across the table turned an adorable rosy shade and Dean found himself staring again. Pink had never looked so good on  _anyone_... Who even knew it? Angels could _blush_. He'd certainly be trying to make _that_ happen again.

'I can't believe you've done all this,' Dean muttered as Frank Sinatra started to sing  _Let It Snow_. Cas merely shrugged in a very human-like way and got up from the table to continue decorating the tree. Dean joined him as soon as his plate was empty, which didn't take very long. He found himself unwilling to be long outside of Cas's presence and the golden aura of comfort Dean felt only when close to him.

Finally there was only the gold star to go atop. 'You should put this on,' Dean said handing it over. Cas stood on a chair, reaching up for the highest branch and Dean couldn't help saying: 'But I think I'd rather have an angel up there.'

'You think that would be appropriate?' 

Dean frowned. 'Well... since you decorated the tree and everything... yeah...'

Cas nodded. 'I did make these,' he said, getting down from his chair and wondering out of the room again. He came back carrying five small wooden plaques, each hung with twine. 

'Um,' Dean said, staring down at them.

'Well... none of these decorations were yours and I thought... you should add something new... something _personal_ to your tree...' Cas explained as he hesitatingly offered up his home made decorations. 

Dean wasn't sure how he'd done it but each plaque was cut into a different Christmas themed shape. There was a red stocking topped with glitter and a brown ginger bread man complete with a bow tie. A brown reindeer dotted with coloured rhinestones bore the letters _Sam_ down one leg and a green Xmas tree with patterned buttons had _Dean_ written at the bottom in curly white font. And finally an angel. The angel was the only plaque left undecorated. 

'How did you even do this?' Dean asked a little awed.

Cas shrugged. 'There was a kit with everything in... paints and... and things... I found them at the shop, when I went to buy lights...'

Dean nodded. 'How come you didn't do yours?' he asked, gesturing to the blank angel plaque. Cas shrugged again, looking a little sad but Dean wasn't having any of it. 'I wanna do it?'

'What?'

'You still got the paints and uh... sparkly shit, right?'

'Yes.'

'Well bring them here. I wanna do the angel.' Cas squinted at him. 'Uh, I mean... I wanna _decorate_ the angel.' Cas nodded and wondered out of the room again whilst Dean chastised himself for not thinking through his words more carefully before saying them out loud. Luckily, as always, any suggestive undertones had gone straight over Cas's head.

Dean sat down at the table and gathered together the paints and things Cas placed in front of him. He looked up at his friend smiling whilst Cas watched on warily. He painted the little wooden angel so that it looked as though it was wearing a trench coat. Tiny black buttons down one side and a belt across the middle. He painted the wings and hair in black, drew on a sleepy angelic face and finished it off with tiny blue gems on the wings, fashioning a blue bow in some semblance of a tie. Finally he wrote Castiel's name as neatly as he could at the bottom and handed it up for the real angel to inspect. 

Cas wrinkled his nose. 'You didn't have to paint it like _me_ ,' he said exasperatedly.

'No but I wanted to,' Dean explained.

Cas blinked across at him. 'Thank you...' he said quietly. 

'Well? Hang it up then,' Dean instructed impatiently. Cas hung it on a branch near the bottom but Dean frowned and rehung it right at the top, so that the only thing above it was the sparkling gold star topper. He hung up Sam's reindeer and his tree next to it. 'That's better,' he said smiling across at Cas.

'Thank you,' he said again, even quieter than before as he strung up the stocking and gingerbread man; the final decorations. Dean wondered who those were for.

'Hey, you did _all_ this,' Dean said, gesturing around. 'You don't get to say thank you. That's my job. Besides... I want you up on the tree with me and Sam... That's were you belong...' Cas smiled across at him, his large blue eyes reflecting the multi-colored fairy lights and Dean forgot to breathe again. 'Yeah... so, um... thank you...' As Cas looked back to the tree, Dean had a sudden thought. 'Hey, you didn't get any _mistletoe_ , did you?' 

'No. It's poisonous,' he said by way of an explanation. 'But I didn't get holly or ivy or any other plant life - besides the tree - that are traditional to Christmas festivities either. Why? Are you partial to some?'  

'Right now I am,' Dean said staring at his friend as he continued to scrutinize the tree. 

'Then I'm sorry I didn't think to procure you any.' Cas answered. Dean's real meaning seeming to have completely evaded him.

'It's okay,' he croaked back,' trying to muster up some courage. 'It's not necessary... not really...'

'Why?' Cas asked turning back to him. 'Don't you _want_ to kiss me, Dean?' and Dean's heart stood still as he translated what Cas had just said, realizing that he had understood the reference perfectly. Well, _fuck_... Suddenly it felt like they were stood far too close together. Cas's eyes continuing to reflect the fairy lights as Dean's brain forgot how to function. 

Cas seemed to be drawing closer but all Dean could think about was how long it would take him to go fetch some mistletoe from the nearest Christmas stocking convenience store, if he ran out to his car right now. And whether that would totally kill the mood. 

But then Cas's lips were on his, soft and wet and pliant and he realized he'd been right. Mistletoe really _wasn't_ necessary. 

Cas started to pull away but Dean latched on, pulling him in closer, until they were pressed flush against each other, Cas's hands grasping at his waist. Dean's hands roving up his arms to wrap around his neck, clutching on for dear life. Fingers carding through that dark messy hair, like he's always wanted to... Cas's tongue sliding over his own, the strong muscle searching between his lips and Dean's legs turned to marshmallow as he lost all grasp of reality... overwhelmed by every sensation... The rough scratch of stubble against stubble, making Dean moan open mouthed with desire... and feeling the front of his pants begin to tighten as he rocked against Cas's thighs...

Dean pulled back to breathe, staring at Cas wide eyed and ever so slightly afraid... But Cas didn't look worried at all. His hair stood up every which way from where Dean had combed his fingers through it, looking sexier than ever and his eyes were dilated, the lids hooded over with lust. Dean stroked his fingers along Cas's strong jawline, feeling the sharp pricks of day old stubble on his fingertips and marveling that he was actually doing this. It was actually happening. 

Dean moaned again as Cas lowered him to the floor, so that he was staring up at the underside of the tree, bright colored lights framing Cas's face and twinkling all around them...

'I could watch you like this forever,' Cas growled and Dean knew without doubt that he meant it.

 

Some time later, the angel and the hunter crawled out from beneath the branches of the tree; half naked, their hair extremely ruffled and their skin marked all over with pink hickeys. They looked up at the tree with some dismay; the lights had all blown out with Cas's orgasm and half the decorations had fallen off. There were pine needles _everywhere_. Dean, who could barely bring himself to stand, felt that Cas may have ruined all other sexual experiences for him for life. Beyond being fucked by his angel of course...

A glance at his phone on the table revealed that it was long passed midnight. 'Um... Merry Christmas,' Dean muttered awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to take Cas back beneath the tree but knowing he didn't actually have the stamina for it.

Cas was frowning at his home made reindeer decoration. 'Merry Christmas,' he agreed. 'Where did you say Sam was again?'

Dean's eyes widened comically.

'Shit!' he said with disbelief. 'I - I _forgot!_ ' 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this destiel xmas fluff fest. Merry Christmas everyone xxx
> 
> P.S. You can find me on Tumblr at [Once Upon A Destiel](http://onceuponadestiel.tumblr.com) come take a look and don't forget to say hi :D


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